The Dutchman Needs a Captain
by freddykre
Summary: The Dutchman always needs a captain. James Norrington was quick to discover that. After years of serving as captain, someone comes back in his life. But for Vera, he only just entered. NOC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: The movie does not belong to moi.**

**Double Disclaimer: All of my views of characters are not to be taken too seriously, i.e. my hate of the whole turner family, because I'm a weirdo and have irrational thoughts. **

**Note: Norrie **_**didn't**_** get stabbed with a big ol' thing of wood by Will's **_**stupid**_** dad. He went with Elizabeth to…that one ship…from Singapore. Will and Liz **_**did**_** get married by Barbossa. Norrie stabbed the heart and became the captain of the Dutchman, Will died (boo hoo). Liz goes off and does…something. I suppose she continues being captain of the Singaporean ship…and she doesn't have a baby, obviously. Barbossa still took the Pearl, Jack was still left with the dingy, that's all the same. And I suppose this takes place maaannny years later, James having served many decades on the Dutchman…but still not eternity. Any questions? If so, you can ask in a **_**comment!**_** 'Cause I love comments :D. And so yeah…Ou, and I will do some flashbacks so you'll know more about **_**why**_** Norrie stabbed the heart…as well as me. Ou, and everything italicized (well, not **_**everything**_** - including that) is a flashback. Like if I were to italicize this paragraph, it would be a flashback. But I'm not going to do that because it's not a flashback. If I italicized it, that would make me a liar, and that's not what I'm about. shameless movie quote**

CHAPTER 1

"Do you feel death?" James Norrington whispered into the ear of a badly bleeding lone sailor. It wasn't his intention for the man to serve in his crew for eternity. He had found him, clinging to a plank of wood, as well as his life. He only found the man and gave him a choice to live. There was nothing he could do past that. He couldn't save him, and drop him off at the next port. Of course, he wouldn't have to live for an eternity either. James had discovered many things while on this magnificent vessel. He had the power, once the ship docked, to free any of his crewmen. So instead of a life-long commitment that his crew had, it was really only ten years at most. Sometimes, if they were lucky, a man would begin his stretch just days before it was time to dock again. The Dutchman had clearly transformed. It was rare there was any need to plunder a ship. The money had no use and there was seldom a shortage of hands on deck. James would either find someone in the ocean, alive (which was rare) and they would serve their ten years (or less), or he would find a poor soul clinging to life (quite common) and turn them immortal…for ten years or less.

So once again James asked the question which so easily rolled off his tongue. "Do you feel death?"

Using all the strength he could muster, the man grabbed James' shirt and pleaded. "Help me," he said in a weak voice.

James nodded. Everything from there seemed to happen on its own, though James knew he was doing it. The wind picked up a bit, Calypso being well aware a new soul was becoming immortal and eager to add some sort of effect. The near-death man gasped as life entered him, before collapsing for a moment and finally sitting up on his own. Of course, had the man chosen not to serve, James would try his best to make his death comfortable (usually killing the men himself), and ferried his soul on to the next world.

But the man today didn't choose death. James helped him to stand and put a hand on his shoulder. "What's your name sir?"

"D-Dickens, sir—I mean, Captain."

James smiled reassuringly and turned his attention to the water as he continued to talk to Dickens. "We have 7 years before we dock. From there you may decide weather or not you would like to leave…becoming, once again, mortal." James turned to Dickens. "Sir, what was the cause of your shipwreck?"

"P-pirates, sir."

James nodded. "Of course." After the return of Calypso, pirates regained their reign of the sea. It became a rarity for any ship to arrive at its destination without conflict. It was pointless to ask why anyone was shipwrecked anymore, though he did get the occasional "cargo explosion" answer. James snapped out of his thoughts and turned back to Dickens. "I assume you're familiar with the positions on a ship?"

"Yes, sir—Captain." He cursed at himself silently under his breath.

"Dickens." Dickens looked up at him. "I don't care what you call me. I need you to familiarize yourself with the ship."

"Yes, sir—C—I, uh…sir."

James smiled and walked away. Once far enough away, he broke into a sort of dignified laughter. It was a good thing he had a lot of men in his crew, otherwise he would only have a few men who actually knew what they were doing. Not that he was talking about Dickens. No, he was sure that in time Dickens would prove himself useful in some way. As for everyone else who either didn't know how to sail or didn't care to find out, they kept the game Liar's Dice going. Not that it did any good. Either way, it kept his crew happy, and a happy crew makes for a happy captain…usually.

But it's not like they could do anything about him. None of them knew where he had hidden the heart. Only he knew. He had told one other person, someone he was sure he could trust…but she was gone. Lost at sea. It had been three years since he had last visited her family's estate, which is when he confided in her the location of the chest. After that he maintained contact with her and her family, using a bird who's soul James suspected to be tied to the ship. Five months after the visit, James received a letter from her father saying she had been missing for a week. A late-night swim is was the last time she set foot in Port Royal…the waves must have taken her down.

Sitting at his desk, he opened the drawer and removed a locket…the last thing she had ever given him. She was adamant about giving it to him. Probably just because she knew he wouldn't see her again for another ten years, but still…it seemed like she knew he would never see her again _ever_.

He squeezed the locket in his hand, "Vera…" and the memories came flooding in.

"_So, how long do you have?"_

_I glanced at my pocket watch. "Not long. The sun will set in less than a half an hour…and I have to get back to my ship."_

_She looked out the window behind me. "How do you know?"_

_I chuckled. "I've been around for a lot of sunsets." _

_Vera sighed. "I suppose you have." She began to bite her nails, before stopping herself. She had obviously been scolded about the matter before. "I have to give you something." She got up quickly and raced up the stairs. I followed, which I think was neither wanted nor expected by Vera, but she couldn't hear me over the racket of her hard-bottomed shoes on the stone floors. She entered her room and pulled something out of a small cabinet. She turned around quickly and ran directly into me. "Ow. What are you doing here? You were supposed to wait downstairs."_

"_You never told me so."_

_She bit her nail once again before turning around and sitting on her bed. I followed, assuming she wanted me to. She held her right hand closed, and with her left hand she reached across her body to grab my arm. I opened my palm and she slowly dropped in it what was in her right hand. It was slinky and cool to the touch. She finally took her hand away and I looked at it. _

"_A necklace?" I asked. It was gold and looked considerably new._

"_It's a locket," she said. "Look what's inside."_

_I opened up the small oval-shaped locket with considerable difficulty, as my hands were much bigger than hers, and not used to maneuvering something so small. I finally was able to get it open and smiled. Inside was a picture of her. A painting, really. The details were amazing, though, and I could tell right away it was her. _

"_It's so you'll remember what I look like."_

"_I could never forget," I said. "And I could never take your jewelry."_

_I began to hand it back when she folded my fingers around it. "Please do, it's of no use to me. My uncle gave it to me when his dog ate my pet rabbit."_

_I nodded and put it in my pocket. "Vera…I must tell you something."_

_She turned to me, giving me her full attention. I opened my mouth to speak, but stopped. Feeling extremely childish, but knowing precaution had to be taken, I leaned over and whispered in her ear the location of the chest. The location of my heart. Her eyes widened. "_Where_?"_

_I smiled. "It's a beautiful island. It's teeming with fruits and shade…and no one knows about it. So…any time you miss me…" I smiled. "Anytime you want to hear the steady rhythm of a heartbeat, you can dig it up. Under the tallest tree."_

James couldn't recall weather or not the soft kiss he received on his cheek was his cue to leave, or if it was a send-off when he announced the sun was almost set. Either way, he still hadn't forgotten how her lips felt, or how distant she felt the moment he walked out the door.

James put the locket back in his desk, and left his quarters. The sun was setting, and he had a whole night of work ahead of him.

**Yayy, chapter uno is done-o. Woo!! OK, so, um…yeah, I pretty much made that all up as a went along, so if it sounds weird…that's why. Please review, I must know what I'm doing wrong!**


	2. Chapter 2

**OK, I was recently told it's "do you **_**fear**_** death?" not **_**feel**_**. So…I'm stupid. So pretend it says that in chapter one. Thanks for the reviews, all those who reviewed. Ou, disclaimer's the same.**

CHAPTER 2

James always welcomed the sunrise. He never had any problems waking up. He enjoyed watching colors slowly fill the sky. But this morning was different. He hadn't slept peacefully at all last night. His entire night was filled with dreams—nightmares really—of Vera. She was drowning and he could do nothing to save her. He tried countless times, but she wouldn't take his hand. And she kept her eyes locked on his as the waves crashed down upon her. He had chills just thinking of the sight. He got up wearily and surveyed the ship. The busybodies (usually former Naval workers) were already up (or had never gone to sleep) and were working at various stations on the ship.

James nodded at them. "Good morning, men. Have you seen anything worth following?"

A man called Jones spoke up instantly. "Lovett spotted a shipwreck a few leagues away. We're going after it to see if there are any survivors."

James nodded once again. "Good work." James then proceeded to walk around the ship in circles trying to recite Naval commands, as he always did in the morning, to distract himself from the fact that he had done the same thing every day for 53 years.

James heard the anchor drop and walked around to the front of the ship, where the rest of the crew was gathered. It was a shipwreck, just as Jones had reported. Everything looked as it usually did. Some dead, many injured, most dying. Chunks of wood and debris everywhere…but then James spotted something unusual; a girl. A strangely familiar looking girl, but James had no idea who she was. And then, when the sun hit her face at just the right angle, the obvious came flooding to him; Vera. She was lying unconscious on a rather large plank of wood. It didn't take James a second's thought to jump in the water and swim to her. She looked quite different, but James knew it was her. Her once waist-long hair lost considerable length, now sitting messily just above her shoulders, and her hazel eyes lost their sparkle. The smile that came so easily now looked like it hadn't shown in years. Her pale, porcelain like skin was now significantly darker looked as thick as leather. But it was still her. He reached out to touch her arm…it was still as soft as ever.

Vera started awake when she was touched. Her eyes widened when she saw the man with a crazed smile looming over her. Her expression only changed for the worse when she was lifted by the shoulders and pulled into his arms.

"Vera…thank God you're OK."

Vera's air supply was being cut short by the man's tight grip, but she managed to whisper, "I'm sorry, but…how do you know my name?"

X+X+X+X+X+X

"I realize I'm most likely beginning to sound a bit repetitive, but…you don't remember me at all?" James asked. Vera shook her head. "OK. I have to get something, wait here." James noticed the hungry look his crew had on their faces. "On second thought, why don't you come with me?"

"OK…" Vera said confusedly. She wasn't sure where was going or who was talking to her like they'd known each other forever…after all, she just met this man today. She watched as he made his way determinedly into what she assumed was his room, and quickly pulled out a drawer. Wordlessly, he held out a shiny metal object to her. She tentatively reached her hand out and took it. Looking at it more closely, she noticed it was a necklace. "Um…" she began to ask, at a loss for what she was supposed to do with it.

"Open it," he said slightly urgently.

"Oh." Vera opened it with ease, her fingernails slipping between the metal. She was quite surprised to find, once open, a picture of her. The woman inside looked much more cared for, with more elegant hair and paler skin, but it was her. "Where did you get this?" she asked.

"You gave it to me." Vera raised her eyebrows in question. "Three years ago. Do you remember it?"

Vera shook her head. "I'm sorry."

There was a sharp knock on the door. "Sorry to interrupt, sir, but we have casualties."

James nodded. "Thank you Mr. Smith. I'll be there in a moment." The man nodded and left the room. James turned back to Vera. "I wonder…how do you remember your name?"

Vera stared at him blankly for a few seconds. "Oh, my name," she said with a small smile. She dug through her layers of clothing and pulled out a surprisingly unsullied gold bracelet with her name carved in, along with various charms hanging down. "At least I assumed that's it."

James smiled. "You're quite right." He glanced at the door then turned his attention back to Vera. "You can stay here if you like, possibly get some rest. Or you can come with me. Either is fine."

"Um…I think I'll just stay here," Vera said, sitting down on the bed.

"Right well…there's a lock on the door. I'd suggest you use it. And Vera, if you need anything…_anything_, don't hesitate to ask me." Vera smiled and James left the room. It was only moments later that he stuck his head back in the room. "Please lock the door."

Vera nodded and stood to lock the door behind James. It was only until a few moments after the large click that she could hear James' footsteps fade down the hallway. Once the footsteps were gone, she leaned back against the door and, holding the tiny locket open in both hands, tried to think of any reason why she would give this man a locket, one with her in it no less. She sighed and sat down on her bed. Despite how hard she tried, Vera couldn't remember this man. This man who was so relieved to see her, this man who held her so tightly despite the filth that clung to her clothes. She couldn't think of anyone who'd want to touch her in her current state, and he'd had a hard time letting go.

She looked back down at the locket; he obviously knew her when she looked like this. She had been beautiful. Any man would have been lucky to be with her. What happened? How did she end up like she did? She knew if she didn't know that, James might…and for some reason she couldn't wait to know. She unlocked the door and hurried around, trying to remember how to get to the main deck of the large ship. After going the wrong way several times, she finally spotted James on what she assumed to be on the main deck. She was going to speak to him when she noticed what he was doing, or rather didn't understand. He was kneeling down next to a badly injured man called Williamson if she remembered correctly. She spotted two other men she knew, Jones and Evans, lying near by. James put his hand on Williamson's face, whose body went limp seconds later. Vera couldn't hold back the scream that escaped her lips.

James looked up only to see the back end of Vera as she ran away. "Vera, wait!" He was about to get up to follow her, to explain to her what she saw, but he still had more men to deal with. He couldn't just leave them.

"Shall I go after her, Captain?"

James glanced at Jones then back down to the barely conscious man at his feet. "No…just find me the key to my cabin."

"Y-your cabin, sir?"

"Yes, my cabin," he said with little patience. "I have a spare around here somewhere."

"Right…aye Captain." And with that Jones scurried off, looking for one of the many places he could find a key.

James turned back to the man he was sitting with. He sighed. "Do you fear death?" he asked with less enthusiasm than he had ever had before.

X+X+X+X+X+X

"Vera, please open the door." James was leaning on the door to his own cabin, trying to get the woman inside to unlock it. "Please, I can explain everything."

"Explain?" It was obvious she was standing right next to the door, and James could hear her hit it in anger. "You just killed someone! I don't even know how, but you did. And I don't know you, but you know me, and it's just…it's really weird."

"Vera, just let me in and we'll talk about it."

"What, let you in so you can do whatever you did to Williamson to me?"

"What? Who's Williamson?"

Vera hit the door again. "The man you killed!"

James softened his voice. "Vera, I would never hurt you…ever. Please open the door." He could hear the lock click and the door slowly opened.

"Explain everything. Tell me who I am."

"I found a key, Captain!"

James glanced at Jones. "That's the wrong one."

X+X+X+X+X+X

"I was _Royalty_?"

"Well yes, in a sense. Your father is the governor, I need to call him by the way, he will be overjoyed to know you're safe." He smiled and patted Vera's hand.

Vera pulled her hand away and held out her locket. "Why did I give you this?"

James smile faded. "I don't know. I was a good friend with your family at one time; I think you liked being friends with someone so much older than you. I only ever saw you once every 10 years…but every time your parents wrote me you'd put your own letter in. I always wrote back with a letter addressed to you specially."

"Did we ever…" Vera looked down at the hand that she was holding her stomach with.

"Ever what?"

She pulled her hand away. "Nothing. It was nothing. But I do have to know about…you know, what happened to Williamson. He was a good person, he didn't deserve to die."

"Most people don't deserve their fate. But it's either death or eternal life. Your friend chose death. I only helped him with a painless one."

"And h-how did you get in this whole…business?"

James sighed. "Have you ever heard of Davy Jones?"

Vera laughed, "Only legends. The demon of the sea, and whatnot. And an archangel came from heaven and defeated him. Only an archangel could." Vera giggled humorlessly.

"Right…well _I'm_ that archangel."

"Oh…"

"I was the Admiral in the Royal Navy, I pretty much had total control of Jones' heart."

"Wait…figuratively?"

James chuckled. "No. This is going to sound very unbelievable, but his actual heart. It was in a chest and I had control over it. And…I stabbed it."

"You _stabbed_ it? Why would you stab someone's heart?" Vera began to look anxious again.

James took her hands. "Vera, the legends were right. He was a horrible man. He attacked as many people as he could so that he could make them join his crew."

"How is that any different from what you do?" There were tears welling in her eyes but they didn't let them fall.

James tightened his grip, but kept it tender. "We find them. I save most of them, and I don't work any of them nearly as hard as Jones did. The Dutchman is a horror story that wives tell the merchants from keeping them out too long. The real demons of sea the now are pirates."

"I don't doubt that," said Vera. There was a small silence in which Vera stared blankly in thought and James did the same only in her direction. Vera looked back at him and he looked away. "Will you do me a favor, just for a day or two?"

"Of course, anything."

"Just don't tell my parents I'm with you. I have a strange feeling. Please?"

"If that's what you want, then of course. Just tell me when you're ready." James stood up from the bed he and Vera had been sitting on. "I'll sleep in another cabin. Again, please lock the door."

**OK, yay to that. More about Vera and whatnot and her mysterious past gasp in future chapters. Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer's the same.**

CHAPTER 3

"I want to help," said Vera flatly the first morning after she arrived.

"No," James said just as flatly. "It's too dangerous, I won't have anything happen to you."

"Nothing _will_ happen to me."

"Nothing will happen to you if you stay in here. I lost you once, Vera, I won't let it happen again."

It had been explained to Vera that she disappeared from her home three years ago, but she didn't know why he cared so much. She just wanted to work. "Look, I've been working on a merchant vessel just as another crew member for the last year, I know what I'm doing."

"Even so…the men on those ships docked much more frequently than once every 10 years. They were much less…lustful."

"You know nothing of the men I worked with. I can hold my own. Besides, you're the Captain, don't you have some control over your crew?"

"I do," James said nodding. "But it's a large ship with many people and I can't always be with you."

"I can handle it fine! Quit treating me like a child. Sure, I get scared when I see someone _murdered_, but that's a fairly common reaction. I'm not a child."

"I'm sorry. I've only ever known you as one. You've grown a lot, it's obvious. I just wish you had some other way to prove yourself."

"I'm not trying to prove myself! I'm trying not to die of boredom, which is bound happen after 7 years!"

James took Vera's hands in his. "Vera, calm down, I'm just—"

"And quit talking to me like that," she said yanking her hands away. "I hate when you talk to me like you know me. Because you don't know me, you only know who I used to be, OK? So just…leave me alone. Let me work. I'll just be another one of your crew members."

James' face hardened. "No." James strode over to his desk, removed his key, and locked the door from the outside. "I'm sorry Vera," he said through the door, "but one needs control over his own crew." James ignored the pleas from Vera, followed by the pounding on the door as he slipped the key into one of his inner pockets and walked away.

Vera searched around the room desperate to find some way of escape. She was lucky James opted against using the room Davy Jones used as a cabin; otherwise the room she was trapped in would be windowless. She ran over to one of the many windows in the cabin and looked up out of it. There was a little ledge a few feet above that she could grab onto, and another one after a few more feet, and finally the rail to the top deck. Vera took a deep breath. There was little chance anyone would hear it if she fell in the water, and she doubted she could get back on if she did. She shook out her hands, not allowing them to tremble, and took one final deep breath. "I can do this," she assured herself out loud. With tentative movements she stepped up onto the windowsill, holding on to the sides of the windows as well as she could. Carefully, she reached up and took hold of the second ledge up and slowly lifted her foot up to the first ledge. She dug what little nails she had into the ledge she was holding so as to safely bring her other foot up to the first ledge. She then grabbed the rail and pulled herself up quickly, not wanting to be in the situation any longer. The moment she stepped on the deck she felt a strong hand take hold of her arm.

"Captain doesn't want you out of your room." Vera looked up to see a dirty face with yellow teeth showing brightly. He turned to his comrade. "To the brigs with her?"

"Aye, that seems appropriate."

"Oh really, and did the Captain give you those orders?" Vera asked.

The first man smiled again, showing more yellow teeth. "Aye. He did."

Vera tried to pull away but the second man grabbed her other arm. "Well you'll be shocked to find out that he in fact doesn't. And that you're going to be in loads of trouble when he finds out that you locked me in—"

"We'll deal with that when the time comes." He yanked on Vera's arm and pulled her along with him and the other man.

Once they got to the brig, Vera was thrown, with little consideration of her comfort, into a cell. She rubbed her arm, which was already beginning to bruise. "The Captain's not going to appreciate his little princess having a bruise on her arm." She was telling the truth and she knew it. James was just doing this because he was angry. He wanted to prove to her he had control. He didn't, however, want her to get hurt. He was telling himself that he was locking her away for her own safety.

The two men locked the door and walked away paying little notice to what Vera was saying.

"Oh that's great!" Vera yelled at them. "Just walk away. And while you're at it, walk up to James and tell him what you've done. We'll see how he feels about you two after that, won't we?" She kicked the cell door in anger. "This ship is nothing but bad luck."

"In whose eyes?" James appeared from nowhere in the doorway, standing very sternly with his hands folded behind his back.

Vera wiped the stray hair out of her face and looked at James with surprise. "How did you get here so fast?"

James smiled and took a few steps toward the cell. "I heard the commotion and decided to follow it…which led me here."

Vera turned away with an eye roll and a cross of her arms. "To answer your question, it's in _my_ eyes that this ship is such bad luck. I've never been one to bruise easily, and here I am with this gaping bruise on my arm. And in a prison cell no less." She crossed her arms again, done with her short rant. She did continue to herself, though: "I've never been rude to a stranger, either, but it's coming easily with him."

"You actually have been one to bruise easily. I remember the first time I came to visit you—"

"Enough stories about the person I used to be! Please. I've had enough of it. And I know the only reason you're keeping me on this ship is because you think I'm the same girl I used to be, but I'm not. So kick me off if must, but don't keep believing I'm someone I'm not."

"How do you know who you used to be? You don't remember anything about yourself."

"I know who I am now. And considering how you talk about me…and that picture you showed me…I'm pretty sure I've changed."

X+X+X+X+X+X

James paced his cabin with his hands clasped behind his back. This girl was much easier to deal with when she didn't know James at all. Now that he had spoken to her as if he knew her—which in fact he did—she was speaking to him the same way, only with a lot less courtesy. It occurred to James that his plan to coddle her—much unlike himself—was only scaring her. There were two explanations that came to his mind right away; the first was that it was not in his nature to coddle, therefore he was dreadfully miserable at it. That option made perfect sense to James. It was, after all, his stern behavior that drove all the ones he loved away. It was only because Vera's father was as stern as he that they remained close acquaintances. Vera once merely liked the fact that she could call herself friends with someone who wrote letters the way he did. The second explanation was that Vera simply did not believe she was now who she once was, and in turn didn't believe that she needed to be treated the same way. That option seemed ridiculous to James. If anything she needed to be treated with more fragility than before. She had lost quite a bit of weight since he had last seen her, considering she was rather thin even then. She definitely could hold her own when it came to words, but she was half the size of most the men on the ship and he knew she couldn't stand to them. Plus there was the fact that she had lost the memory of most of her life. He couldn't imagine what she must be feeling.

A knock on his door broke him from his thoughts.

"Sir, Vera requests that you see her." It was Evans, one of the new arrivals from the day before.

X+X+X+X+X+X

Vera sat in the corner of her cell with her arms folded. It had been 2 hours since James had left her in the cell, and she was feeling quite ready to leave. It hadn't taken very long for her to notice the pictures of sea-creature looking things carved into the walls of the ship. She shouldn't have let the men watching the cell notice her looking at them. They began to explain in crude detail what they really were.

"You don't know about the old _Dutchman_ crew, do you?" Vera didn't answer. She just crossed her arms and turned away from him. "They all turned into sea-creatures. You see the captain, Davy Jones, he didn't do his job. He was s'possed to ferry souls lost at see to the other side. But when he didn't, he was punished by Calypso. His crew was punished too. Those guys in the walls—that's right, they're _in_ the walls—they're alive." He scratched his scruffy chin. "Alive is the wrong word. They're dead. But they feel _everything_. They see everything. They hear everything. They were on this ship so long they became part of it. There's no way they can get out now. No way they can go back to normal. They'll stay like this forever, hopeless for a way out."

"Watson, what are you telling our guest?"

Watson turned around quickly, unaware that his captain was right there. "Nothing sir. I'll be going now."

James nodded and turned to Vera, who turned to him as well. "I hope he didn't scare you. It's become a hobby of his to see who he can drive off the ship."

Vera glanced at the wall. "Is it true?"

"I honestly don't know. They were more or less like that when I became captain. But straying back to you, are you well accommodated? I asked for Watson to bring you what you needed. Vera?"

She brought her eyes to his to reveal a tear glistening on her cheek. "I'll do what you want. Just please let me go back to your cabin. I won't try to get out again, I promise."

James lifted his head up in a disconnected sort of way. "I may be able to accommodate you, but not in my cabin, unfortunately. I'm afraid it was rather inappropriate to have let you stay there before. There are, however, a few cabins available to you. There is no doubt that one is enough, yes?"

Vera was taken aback by his sudden lack of intimacy. She stared blankly for a few moments, but then snapped back into reality. "Oh…yes."

"Perfect. You may be relieved to know that I've already made the arrangements, so you won't need to stay in this cell any longer." He unlocked the door and slowly began to walk away. "Follow me, please." He continued walking without another word, leaving Vera to follow in confusion.

**OK, chapter 3, hope you liked it.**


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Vera had barely moved from her bed since James left her there. The door remained unlocked from the outside (though locked from the inside by her) and James had withdrawn the orders to send her back to the brig. She didn't leave though. She had the sudden urge to impress James, to get back on his good side. It seemed so illogical to her that she wanted to win him over so bad, but him being so distant. The only time she even moved was when James entered her room, using his own key. She stood to greet him. "H-hello, James. I, um—"

"I expect you must be hungry."

"Er…well yes, but—"

"Perfect, I shall send someone with your meal."

"James, wait—" But he had already left the room. She sighed and sat back on her bed. It was obvious she had ruined any chances of getting on his good side. That still motivated her more to try. There was a knock on her door a few moments later. "I believe James left it unlocked."

The door creaked open was the man Vera recognized to be called Jones. He was carrying a tray holding a covered dish and a goblet, the contents of which Vera was unsure. There was a large desk in the room on which Jones put the tray. "Dinner is Sea Bass. I hope it will be satisfactory, as it's all we have most often."

"Thank you," Vera said softly. "Could you please tell me what's in the goblet?"

"It's only red wine. Captain Norrington wasn't sure about giving you rum. He didn't know how much you drink."

"Oh. Well it was very thoughtful of him." Jones gave a polite smile and began to walk away. "Jones, is it?"

Jones stopped and turned back to Vera. "Yes. Christopher Jones."

Vera smiled. "And you've been working on this ship…three years?"

"No, much longer, actually. It may seem cliché, but the sea is my life. Norrington became captain only a few months prior to me joining the crew."

"Is it weird working on the Flying Dutchman after it was captained by Davy Jones?"

"Because my name is Jones?" Vera nodded with an embarrassed smile. "No, not really. A lot of people think I'm his son, though. I'm not," he said quickly after noticing the curious look on Vera's face. After realizing he was sent to deliver Vera's food and nothing else, he put on a more serious face and nodded at the tray. "Before it gets cold," he said, and with that, he left the room.

X+X+X+X+X+X

"I'm sorry, sir, I got sidetracked. She struck a conversation with me, I didn't want to be rude."

"Yes, that's all fine," James said after Jones returned from delivering Vera's meal. "How did she appear?"

"Appear, sir?" James nodded impatiently. "Well…her hair looks a bit ragged, but other than that—"

"No, not that. Did she seem upset?"

"No. She was quiet at first, but not in an ungrateful sort of way. Moreover, she said it was thoughtful of you to give her wine instead of rum. She seemed to mostly be rather bored. She really does nothing in that room. I'm not sure if she can read, but there are no books in there anyway."

"Bored, you say?" Jones nodded. "Maybe when you fetch the tray you can talk to her some more. In addition bring her books, I know she can read. Anything will do, she's not picky."

"Yes sir, I'll do that. Shall I select some books while she finishes her meal, and bring them to her once she's done?"

"Yes, that sounds fine. Give her time, though. From what I remember she wasn't the speediest eater."

Jones nodded and quickly exited the room. They were in James's quarters, which did have books, but Jones felt like he shouldn't stay in the room. He felt like he was intruding in some personal time, or something of the matter. There were more books in Davy Jones' old quarters, and those would do just fine. He took his time picking them out because he didn't want to get to Vera's cabin early, but nor did he want to wait around while she finished. When he finally chose several books that he had read and enjoyed, he made his way to Vera. He knocked lightly on the door, and when she once again informed him it was open, he let himself in.

"I brought you some books. It was on the captain's request." He felt awkward talking to her as she was. She didn't look at him as he spoke, but instead stared out the window, her mind obviously set on other things. There was a long pause in which she didn't respond. Finally, her thoughts apparently settled, she turned around to face Jones.

"Thank you," she said with a polite smile to match his. She stood up and, taking a few steps towards him, held her hand out, "I'm Vera, by the way."

Jones closed the gap between then with a couple large strides. He took her hand and, unable to decide whether to grip firmly as an equal or loosely as a lady, shook once loosely and let go. "Yes, I know. Vera Gillette."

Vera nodded as if it was old information even though in fact it was news to her. "Thank you, again, for the books. You've no idea how boring it gets sometimes." She sighed and sat back down. "I don't know how you can stand being on this ship for so long."

Jones set the books he was holding down on the desk then sat down as well. "It's really not that bad. I used to miss my family. I still do sometimes. But I truthfully think they were better off without me."

Vera furrowed her eyebrows. "Why's that?"

"Back in England they had their own business. It might still be in the family, I am not sure. Anyway, my mother was a great seamstress, and my father a sharp businessman. They only assumed that once I got out of school I would work with them. It angered them to find out I'd rather work for a merchant vessel. They were scared for my well-being. Less and less sailors made it home with all of the pirate attacks. They told me if I left I would no longer be considered family. However, I would not listen to a word they said. I loved the sea. I would sneak out at night and sit on the beach for hours at a time. It helped clear my mind." He sighed. "The vessel I was on was attacked by pirates within days. By the time the Dutchman found us I was clinging to consciousness as much as I was life."

Vera stared silently. She didn't remember much of her life but she was sure nothing compared to that.

"I'm sorry to cause this awkward silence."

"No, no, it's not your fault," Vera insisted. "I've just never heard a story like that. And I've heard plenty of stories, believe me."

"So what's your story?"

Vera hesitated, taken aback. "Well…it's not much of one. I woke up, with no recollection of who or where I was. Anyway, I was on the island for a few days, waiting to be rescued, before I realized that probably wasn't going to happen. I searched the island, found a piece of driftwood, and started swimming. When I became tired, I would rest on the wood. After a while—quite a long while actually—I was found by a merchant vessel from Scotland. I began to work on it right away, and when we ported, I stayed with the family of one of the men on the crew. That's all I remember of my life. When you—or whoever—found me, I learned I really do have a past. Bizarre, yes?"

Jones raised his eyebrows. "Quite."

X+X+X+X+X+X

James paced his study slowly as Jones relayed the story Vera had told him. When he finally finished the story, James stopped pacing and looked at Jones with his eyebrows furrowed. "Which island did she say?"

Jones paused. "She didn't."

"Well, where was it?"

"She didn't say that either. Why?"

James glared at his subordinate. "I'd like you to talk to her again. Gain her trust, but still obtain facts. Can you do that?"

"Of course, sir," Jones said bowing slightly, rolling his eyes when James could not see. He stood up straight and left the room.

James, content with the outcome of the meeting, sat down in his large desk chair and leaned back, closing his eyes. It hadn't been his intention to spy on her, but once he found out how favorably Vera and Christopher got along, he decided to use it to his gain. It was without guilt that he recalled on the story Jones had told him, trying to get something, anything out of it. And then he remembered what Vera had told him a day before.

"_I've been working on a merchant vessel for the last year…"_

That meant she had been on her own (or at least away from her parents) for two years before she lost her memory.

"So what was she doing?" James mused aloud. When the answer didn't come, his composure broke. A loud bang rang in his cabin as the contents of his desk lay discarded on the ground. He waved away a concerned Dickens when he came round to question James about the noise. He could hardly be expected to come up with two years of unknown events in mere minutes; still he pressured himself to do so. He needed to know what happened to Vera. He needed Vera to know what happened to her. He needed to get as much information out of her as possible without being too obvious. He needed Jones to get closer. Much closer.

**OK, that took longer than I wanted. Forgive? Review?**


End file.
